OpenAI is testing a new advertising format that turns an ad click into a conversation with a brand’s AI agent, rather than sending users to an external website.
The format allows advertisers to attach branded business agents directly to ads in ChatGPT. When a user clicks the call-to-action button that reads something like “Chat with us,” they are taken to a branded chat in ChatGPT, where they can interact with the seller’s AI agent, according to Digiday.
The move represents OpenAI’s first real attempt at what it calls AI-native advertising: ads designed around how people actually interact with AI assistants, rather than funneling leads from search engines or social media.
Wayfair is among the first advertisers testing ChatGPT’s click-to-chat advertisements. Morgan Brown, the company’s director of paid media, told Digiday the retailer is participating in what OpenAI calls its “Sponsored Agent” pilot.
The launch of OpenAI’s sponsored agent pilot comes as advertisers are still determining whether ChatGPT’s new advertising model is worth investing in. The consensus among participating advertisers remains that the platform is promising but unproven months after ads first appeared in the chatbot.
The development raises a question that From Day One has explored in its coverage of AI in marketing: As brands hand more of the customer conversation to AI agents, what happens to the human touch?
For brands considering experimenting with click-to-chat ads, the opportunity is substantial, and the stakes are high. The format promises something current ad models don’t: a conversation that keeps consumers engaged rather than sending them away. Whether that exchange feels authentic or automated will determine if it becomes the next popular ad format or just another experiment that never scales.
Ade Akin covers artificial intelligence, workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.
(Photo by Isasoulart/iStock)
